[hua man]

I love the idea of cast iron but I just can't get them seasoned correctly so they stick terribly. I'm going to research this and get these wonderful tools back on top of the stove from the back storage under the cabinet. Thanks for stirring up my motivation.

Don't wash with soap. Put water in it and boil. I have a dedicated scrubber for use only on cast iron. Towel dry. light coat of veggie oil. Or your prefered type. Occasionally, bake something in it. this will help the coating.

Need to fire mine. Had them for 20 years, gonna put them in a fire and burn of the build-up. Then re-season.

 

[WILL]

Watching my wife cook us breakfast on our 12" Lodge skillet as we speak...Love that pan!

 

[Armtx77]

I bought a Lodge skillet some years back, and the first thing I did was hit it with my palm sander. Only took about 3 minutes to smooth it out.

Yep, this is what I did with mine too. The weight of them, knowing there is stuff that is lighter, is what put me on the search for an alternative to Lodge.

 

[charliemeyer007]

When I score used cast iron from un-known sources, I throw it in a good hot campfire and burn it clean. A light wire brushing and the then re-season it. Lard works the best for me. Many light coats works better than heavy ones. Hot unit and wipe it on - baking it dry in an oven works best but it will smoke and set off fire alarms.

 

[sarge912]

I have a lot of Lodge but my favorite Dutch Oven was marketed as Paula Dean, before she got "canceled."
Apparently it was imported by the Meyer Trading Corporation. Much of it got recalled.
I have used mine for years without a problem. Great for baking bread in.

 

[bonegunner]

I love the idea of cast iron but I just can't get them seasoned correctly so they stick terribly. I'm going to research this and get these wonderful tools back on top of the stove from the back storage under the cabinet. Thanks for stirring up my motivation.

You can find all you need to know here.

The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast

The Cast Iron Collector: Information for the Vintage Cookware Enthusiast. Learn how to identify, clean, restore, season and use collectible antique cast iron cookware.

castironcollector.com

 

[two bits]

When I score used cast iron from un-known sources, I throw it in a good hot campfire and burn it clean. A light wire brushing and the then re-season it. Lard works the best for me. Many light coats works better than heavy ones. Hot unit and wipe it on - baking it dry in an oven works best but it will smoke and set off fire alarms.

I clean my cast iron finds and friends pieces via electrolysis. Then overnight, the "crap" inside and out just peels off. Then I season um as recommended.

 

[hatchet jack]

I love the idea of cast iron but I just can't get them seasoned correctly so they stick terribly. I'm going to research this and get these wonderful tools back on top of the stove from the back storage under the cabinet. Thanks for stirring up my motivation.

Have a look at this video. You can buy flax seed oil at walmart.

 

[bonegunner]

My wife has a square cast iron skillet that she only uses for cornbread.

She'd hit you over the head with it if you tried to use it for anything else.

We have some cast iron that was my grandmother's.

It's probably around 100 years old.

 

[Aceoky]

I have some of my Great Grandmother's cast iron, it is a few years old.

 

[Potawatomi II]

Don't wash with soap. Put water in it and boil. I have a dedicated scrubber for use only on cast iron. Towel dry. light coat of veggie oil. Or your prefered type. Occasionally, bake something in it. this will help the coating.

Need to fire mine. Had them for 20 years, gonna put them in a fire and burn of the build-up. Then re-season.

I use my propane grill.

 

[Potawatomi II]

When I score used cast iron from un-known sources, I throw it in a good hot campfire and burn it clean. A light wire brushing and the then re-season it. Lard works the best for me. Many light coats works better than heavy ones. Hot unit and wipe it on - baking it dry in an oven works best but it will smoke and set off fire alarms.

Looks like I should have used a multi quote. Anyway it's been a few years but last time I needed to reseason one I burnt it off in the grill and then reseasoned it there also. This avoids smoking up the house but still allows you to control the heat. I don't remember what temp I seasoned at though, I did use internet instructions though.

 

[pobept75]

I love the idea of cast iron but I just can't get them seasoned correctly so they stick terribly. I'm going to research this and get these wonderful tools back on top of the stove from the back storage under the cabinet. Thanks for stirring up my motivation.

Try dry heating your pan, when hot add cooking oil, lard, shorting, this really helps with the sticking of pans not fully cured.

 

[hoplite59]

I bought a Lodge skillet some years back, and the first thing I did was hit it with my palm sander. Only took about 3 minutes to smooth it out.

what grit paper ?

 

[hoplite59]

Try dry heating your pan, when hot add cooking oil, lard, shorting, this really helps with the sticking of pans not fully cured.

That's what i do. Smithey cooking surface is like glass now.

 

[ajole]

You can find heirloom quality cast iron wear almost in every flea market, reasonable .

Not out here you can't....

I dont like Lodge because their cooking surfaces are not milled,

The BEST skilet I have is one made with concentric rings cast into the inside bottom. You can still sort of see them, but you can't tell that they are there anymore by feel.

Point being...I PREFER a rough surface, it gives the seasoning something to adhere to. Lodge isn't polished...and that's a good thing.

I love the idea of cast iron but I just can't get them seasoned correctly so they stick terribly.

Cook a LOT of things that don't matter if they stick, or that WON'T stick. Bacon, un-breaded pork chops, fried chicken in an inch of oil, cheese sandwiches. That's the BEST way to build up a non-stick coating....use it! Use OIL to cook things. You can cook pancakes and such without sticking....but only if you use oil for the first ones. Eventually, you'll need very little for that, but until you have the "teflon" look and feel....you need to use oils.

Then, clean it without scratching your seasoning. Don't use steel wool, just add water, get it hot, and use a brush or a scrubby sponge, or the "chainmail" type cleaners they sell to get the food particles off.

Rinse it out well before setting the pan back on the stove, heating it DRY, I mean 100% dry, and then wiping it with some oil to keep it until the next use...which is a big deal. Don't neglect that step.

Don't wash with soap. Put water in it and boil. I have a dedicated scrubber for use only on cast iron. Towel dry. light coat of veggie oil. Or your prefered type. Occasionally, bake something in it. this will help the coating.

Need to fire mine. Had them for 20 years, gonna put them in a fire and burn of the build-up. Then re-season.

I use soap all the time. So did my mom. Never had a problem. But I don't let it sit or soak in soap, nor do I get aggressive with it. If the pan is clean enough to NOT need the boil treatment, I'll hit it with warm soapy water, then rinse VERY well, then reseason as you said to.

Just curious....what is the scientific reason for not using soap? It won't hurt your seasoning. I have pans that are over 20 years old that make teflon look rough.

ON another subject.....I cleaned a dutch oven once at a large group thing. It was a deep one on the outside, but shallow on the inside. Very smooth "seasoning", but...that was odd. As I scraped some food off around the edge of the bottom, I suddenly got lots of carbon flakes....and then more.
I ended up literally chipping out almost an inch of carbon from that pan, because the owner hadn't ever really "cleaned" it. I'm not saying that's because he never used soap, I'm just saying it is amazing how some people (don't) treat their cast iron.

My wife has a square cast iron skillet that she only uses for cornbread.

She'd hit you over the head with it if you tried to use it for anything else.

I LITERALLY made some white corn flour cornbread in my square skillet yesterday!
But I use it for other things too....I don't make eough cornbread for it to stay seasoned and non-stick if I only used it for that.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I worry about things like mercury from the old gold miners - I think bright cherry red iron will drive it off, not sure electrolysis would do the the same.

For my dutch ovens I used valve grinding compound to seat the lid. 600 grit sand paper work for polishing the cooking surface - I don't go for mirror bright finish - I like a little texture to give the seasoning a surface to bond.

 

[hua man]

Not out here you can't....



The BEST skilet I have is one made with concentric rings cast into the inside bottom. You can still sort of see them, but you can't tell that they are there anymore by feel.

Point being...I PREFER a rough surface, it gives the seasoning something to adhere to. Lodge isn't polished...and that's a good thing.



Cook a LOT of things that don't matter if they stick, or that WON'T stick. Bacon, un-breaded pork chops, fried chicken in an inch of oil, cheese sandwiches. That's the BEST way to build up a non-stick coating....use it! Use OIL to cook things. You can cook pancakes and such without sticking....but only if you use oil for the first ones. Eventually, you'll need very little for that, but until you have the "teflon" look and feel....you need to use oils.

Then, clean it without scratching your seasoning. Don't use steel wool, just add water, get it hot, and use a brush or a scrubby sponge, or the "chainmail" type cleaners they sell to get the food particles off.

Rinse it out well before setting the pan back on the stove, heating it DRY, I mean 100% dry, and then wiping it with some oil to keep it until the next use...which is a big deal. Don't neglect that step.





I use soap all the time. So did my mom. Never had a problem. But I don't let it sit or soak in soap, nor do I get aggressive with it. If the pan is clean enough to NOT need the boil treatment, I'll hit it with warm soapy water, then rinse VERY well, then reseason as you said to.

Just curious....what is the scientific reason for not using soap? It won't hurt your seasoning. I have pans that are over 20 years old that make teflon look rough.

ON another subject.....I cleaned a dutch oven once at a large group thing. It was a deep one on the outside, but shallow on the inside. Very smooth "seasoning", but...that was odd. As I scraped some food off around the edge of the bottom, I suddenly got lots of carbon flakes....and then more.
I ended up literally chipping out almost an inch of carbon from that pan, because the owner hadn't ever really "cleaned" it. I'm not saying that's because he never used soap, I'm just saying it is amazing how some people (don't) treat their cast iron.



I LITERALLY made some white corn flour cornbread in my square skillet yesterday!
But I use it for other things too....I don't make eough cornbread for it to stay seasoned and non-stick if I only used it for that.

Old school thought about soap-cast iron-

When soaps were lye, it would eat at the seasoning. Some say it leaves a soapy taste. Nowadays, it shouldn't be a problem. However, I have been taught the no soap method as a youngin. Guess it just comes down to prefered method.

 

[ajole]

Old school thought about soap-cast iron-

When soaps were lye, it would eat at the seasoning. Some say it leaves a soapy taste. Nowadays, it shouldn't be a problem. However, I have been taught the no soap method as a youngin. Guess it just comes down to prefered method.

Yeah, I think you're probably right. I cetainly wouldn't argue that soap is a necessity.

It's like the woman that always cut the end of the roast off because her mom always did it. One day she asked her mom why, and mom says it was because she didn't ever have a large enough pan to hold the whole thing.....

Some things are done for a reason that made complete sense, but no longer does..but some things are just as valid as ever.

 

[hatchet jack]

Then, clean it without scratching your seasoning. Don't use steel wool, just add water, get it hot, and use a brush or a scrubby sponge, or the "chainmail" type cleaners they sell to get the food particles off.

Rinse it out well before setting the pan back on the stove, heating it DRY, I mean 100% dry, and then wiping it with some oil to keep it until the next use...which is a big deal. Don't neglect that step.

Thats the way I do it. I get it hot and coat with a light coat of Crisco. Next time I go to the big WM I will get a bottle of Flax Seed oil to season my pans with like in the video I posted. I don't think there is a wrong way to coat the cast iron. Just some oils are better and higher temp rated.